


Cold Hearted (Prince AU)

by randomkpopscenarios



Series: Prince AU [1]
Category: GOT7, K-pop, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-09-12 21:59:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16879995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randomkpopscenarios/pseuds/randomkpopscenarios
Summary: After the death of the heir to the Ice Kingdom, Prince Im Jaebum must rise to the role of future king. With war brewing on the foreign border, Jaebum knows his duties come first and foremost. In order to seal his place on the throne he must marry and make a heir of his own, thus you, the youngest daughter of the Wind king, are chosen as the bride to the cold-hearted prince. When all royal marriages are acts of political gain, Jaebum and you wonder if either of you are fit for the burden you will carry; or the secrets that lie beneath the secretive Ice Kingdom and your hearts.





	1. Chapter 1

You were running by through the palace gardens when you heard one of the servants calling your name. Your two sisters, Katerina and Victoria, looked up from the game of checkers they were playing beneath the cherry blossom tree.

Vera, the head maid of the household stood on the steps leading into the back entrance of the castle.

“Girls! We have a guest! Come, stop what you’re doing and greet him.” You and your sisters sprinted towards Vera, all mentally deciding it was a race to see who could reach the doors first. Katerina lightly shoved you causing you to stumble allowing her to just beat you.

“Cheater! You pushed me!” You cried out playfully. She scoffed,

“Did not! You’re just clumsy!”

“You-”

“It is rude to keep a guest waiting, come along.” Vera sighed, over twenty years working for the palace and your antics never failed to amaze her. Katerina quickly stuck her tongue out at you before going into the castle. You followed Vera through the various twisting and turning corridors, lined with statues and paintings of the kingdom’s greatest achievements.

Finally, you arrived in the main hall. Your father was sitting on the throne, beside him was man who appeared to be a few years older than him. He wore royal clothing, but it certainly wasn’t from your country. His attention immediately shifted from your father to your sisters. You stood before him in a row, and bowed in his presence.

“Girls, this is the King Taek-geun of the Ice Kingdom. He has come with a proposition for our family.” That could only mean one thing: marriage. Your father was considered by many to have unfortunate luck when it came to children, it wasn’t that he didn’t have any, it was that he had five daughters. Unless he were to have a son, the throne was currently set to go to his second cousin of some kind unless his eldest daughter, Madeleine, currently married to the second son of the earth king had a son. However, she herself only had two daughters, so the throne may potentially go to your next oldest sister, Helena, currently pregnant by a nobleman of the water kingdom.

Within the royal families there was a distinctive hierarchy. The oldest son was always first in line to throne, even if he is the youngest child of the king and queen. Only children born from the king and queen are eligible to the thrown, any illegitimate child would not be considered. If the eldest son dies before an heir is born then the crown is passed to the next oldest son. Other male relatives would be picked over a female heir, which was unfair in your opinion, not that anyone asked you.

If the king has no sons, then any siblings he has will be considered, for example, if the king had a brother who had a son, the king’s brother would take the place of the king with his son becoming the new crown prince. If somehow the king had no siblings and only daughters then the only options for him would be to marry his daughters to royalty, and the first daughter to have a son would take the throne and rule along side her husband as the queen.

Historically, this had never happened, but your father seemed to be living this exact scenario in the present day, he had two sisters, both deceased, so no competition there. His wife, too, had died several years ago, and he had expressed no interest in remarrying so the potential for a male heir had gone out the window. The only options he had now were to marry his daughters to noblemen and hope at least one would have a son. Marriages tended to be done for political reasons, mostly so the kings would have allies from other nations who would be willing to fight alongside them if war were to break out.

“Ladies, please, stand, we don’t need such formality when I have such a proposal for you.” The three of you stood looked at the king, he was quite tall, with tanned skin and a strong jaw. “I’ll cut to the important part. My only son, Jaebum, is twenty years old and unmarried. Unless he marries and have a male heir within the next two years, my brother stands to inherit the throne from me, which I cannot allow. It has been a long standing decision between your father and I that one of you will marry my son and become queen of the ice kingdom upon my passing. My son has agreed to my terms and has decided that the woman I choose for him will become his wife. I will be staying here for the next week, at the end I will choose the the girl most suitable to marry my son and travel back to the ice kingdom, where you will join me shortly after.”

As you had suspected, he was looking to arrange a marriage between one of you and his son. He would most likely choose one of your sisters. You were the youngest of your father’s daughters, at sixteen years old. Katerina was eighteen and Victoria was twenty. Victoria and Helena were described as most similar to your late mother, tall and slender. Victoria had long, blonde hair, naturally straight which reached her waist. At twenty she would be the closest to Jaebum in age. She was elegant by all accounts and the most regal of you and your sisters. Your father often remarked that she carried herself just like her mother, with an aura of quiet confidence which no one could match.

Katerina could be considered the opposite of Victoria in many ways, she was quite petite, even shorter than you, with effortlessly wavy red curls that cascaded down her back. She was curvaceous, with a rather large…bust and behind. She didn’t hold herself to the same rules as Victoria and was naturally a bit more flirty and playful than the rest of you. If the king was searching for an heir for his son she would be most likely to have a baby and survive.

Then there was you. Thoroughly average, a tomboy if anything. Average height, average weight, average all over. You were neither thin like Victoria nor curvy like Katerina; you were just, in between. Many people had told you that your mother was one of the beauties of her time, taken too soon and such, often that her daughters were equal to her in beauty, though you were often thought of as the odd one out. Your hair was dark like your father’s and a wild mess unless tied up. Your knees were often scraped up from running in the garden too much and you were bruised from the chest down from play fighting with the village children. Not lady-like at all.

“Well, daughters, that is all for today. It’s quite late now, so you should prepare for bed. You are dismissed.” You and your sisters exited the hall as calmly as you could and quickly paced up to your bedroom. When the door clicked shut both Katerina and Victoria broke into hysterical shrieks.

“A prince! I’m finally going to marry!” Victoria cried out.

“As if, he’ll marry me!” Katerina said assuredly.

“No way, I’m the closest to his age.”

“Men like younger women.”

“No they don’t they want someone they can emotionally connect with.”

“They’ll want someone beautiful and womanly, like me.”

“Or maybe they like women who are beautiful like me.”

They backed and forthed about who the king would choose, but you wanted no part. As the youngest you were the least likely to marry, not that you particularly wanted to. You hoped that your sisters would marry away and your father would let you leave to travel the world. If you got married, you’d be stuck with your husband and the several children he would expect. The maids came in and helped you undress from the your corset and heavy skirts, changing you into your nightgown.

Whilst you brushed Victoria’s hair she began chatting with you,

“Sister?”

“Yes?”

“You’ve been quiet this evening. What are your thoughts on this potential of your marrying?”

“I have little opinion on the matter. There is no way the king would pick me when there are much more suitable candidates available.”

“Never say never, little bird, he said he’d choose any one of us.”

“It’s not as if I want to marry, I’ll have to leave my family and my friends. Do we even know what this Jaebum is like?”

“Word is, he’s a very eligible bachelor in his home country. He’s apparently very good-looking and skilled fighter as he’s been trained since birth.” Katerina said, a coy smile crossing her face as she braided her hair.

“I heard he is highly educated, he often reads and has published several pieces of poetry in his country.” Victoria added.

“I overheard the king’s servants talking about him,” she leaned over to the two of you and lowered her voice, “He’s supposedly built like a god.” she giggled. Victoria slapped her arm, the two of them laughing together.

Vera entered the room and told you all to head to bed as you had an early breakfast with the king tomorrow. You and your sisters found yourselves lying in bed chatting about this and that before finally succumbing to tiredness and going to sleep.

At 6am the next morning you were woken up by the sounds of the maids entering the room ringing bells to wake you and your sisters up. This was typical of the maids, they would wake you up and then forcibly dress you for the day. The sheets of the bed were yanked off and you tumbled onto the floor with them. Two maids hauled you up and you were thus surrounded by maybe, five? One brushing you hair and styling it, several changing you under dress and tying your corset along with whatever else was needed to make you passable for the day. As one began to tighten the string of the corset you felt the air in your lungs quietly leave,

“A little tight don’t you think?” you wheezed.

“The tighter the better.” she responded sharply, focused on the work at hand. Within a few minutes you were ready for the first trial of the day: breakfast.

The dining hall was already prepared, loaves of bread, various types of fruit juice, soups, eggs and other delights were laid out on the table with servants still rushing about carrying dishes. Your father and the king were already seated and seemed to be avidly discussing something. Upon your entry into the dining hall they stopped and gave you all bright smiles. Katerina quickly rushed over and sat in the seat nearest the king, Victoria took the beside her and you took the one furthest. They were obviously trying to score brownie points with the king, as he made small talk with them about how they slept and the state of the whether. Thoroughly mundane. You began to dig into a grapefruit, whilst a cup of Earl Grey tea was set beside you.

“Y/N! How did you sleep last night?” The king asked politely. All eyes were on you as you peered up from the grapefruit,

“I slept as well as one can when such a change like marriage is presented only hours before.”

“My presence in the castle is a bother to you?” A follow up question? Your sisters gave you wide eyed looks.

“You reason to be in the palace is a cause of anxiety for me.” He gave you an amused smile,

“You are concerned that I will be examining you and your sisters to see if you are suitable bride for my son.”

“I suppose in those candid terms, yes.” Your father gave you a shocked look.

“Why?”

“Wouldn’t you rather just pick a bride based on my father’s words? It would be much simpler to take my father’s words on what sorts of women we are.”

“I suppose that would be the more logical decision to have your father quickly inform me about you and your sisters; but I prefer to see you with my own eyes. My son is of a particular taste, it would take a woman who he can love and can love him back to form a strong bond. I want what is best for my son, and no father’s clouded ideals of his daughters would give me what I want.” Was he annoyed, or angry? He didn’t seem to be. He seemed to be laughing. “Any other questions, Y/N?” You shook your head and went back to eating your grapefruit. The conversation went back to it’s regular discussion of this, that and the other.

You spent the rest of the day going through your regular routine. Tutoring after breakfast, lunch then afternoon activities, more tutoring and music practise then dinner and then to bed. It went like that pretty much everyday, you had to be educated to considered a ‘proper lady’.

The entire week pretty much went like that, you barely saw the king after your little breakfast discussion. You assumed your sisters had been attempting to persuade him in one way or another as to why they should be the prince’s wife. You didn’t care much for it, if anything you made attempts to avoid being seen by the king lest he quiz you some more on your opinions of arranged marriage.

Finally the day arrived when the king would make his decision. You didn’t know why you were being brought down to the hall with your sisters, there was no reason for the king to choose you. Nonetheless you were brought down along with your sisters to the main hall where your father and the king were waiting.

“Welcome girls! Please there is no need to sit, I will only keep you for a short time.” You and your sisters bowed to your father and then the king, standing as straight as you could before him in your formals. The king stood from his seat.

“I’ve been observing you for the last week to see how you think and behave and determine which of you would be most suitable for my son, or who my son will be most suited to. I’ll say the decision wasn’t easy, but my choice is final and I will not have it questioned.” Your father sat nodding and you and your sisters bowed your heads in respect for his words. “I have chosen Y/N.” he declared.

What?

Did you mishear him?

Yes, that was it, you misheard him. You looked up at him, his eyes were squarely on you.

“Pardon? Your majesty?” your father said, confused.

“I choose her, your youngest daughter, to be my son’s bride.” Your father seemed to be unable to fathom this idea.

“May I speak to you outside the hall?”

“Yes, of course. Girls, you are dismissed.” Your father and the king quickly exited the hall out one door whilst you left through the other. As soon as your father and the king were alone,

“Are you sure? I mean, of course, but what about Victoria and Katerina?”

“All your daughters are lovely, but Y/N is the one who could love my son.”

“You keep talking of love, aren’t you more interested in just extending the family line? Victoria puts on a better image, and Katerina is more likely to bare a son. I think you should rethink this choice for the sake of the royal line”

“You talk like you didn’t love at all in these years.”

“I loved, and it left me here. A widower with five daughters, unable to move on.”

“I have forced this marriage on my son without his will, if I stand any chance of having a grandchild he must love her and she must return it.”

“My youngest is unwilling. You even spoke to her at breakfast, you know she will be difficult.”

“But she is the one. There is no other choice for my son than her, and as I said, I will not have my decision changed.” You father sighed and ran his hand through his hair,

“I only hope you know what you are doing, old friend. I don’t want to tarnish the names of either of our families.”

“I know exactly what I’m doing.” and with that he left your father.

You were standing in the alcove, panicked.

“Are you alright, Y/N?” Victoria asked.

“I’m-I’m marrying the prince. I can’t marry the prince. I can’t.” you cried, waving your hands.

“Well baby sister, the king decided you’re marrying prince Jaebum.” Katerina stated bluntly.

You were marrying the prince.

You were going to marry the prince of the Ice Kingdom.

“I can’t do this!” you wailed.

But you knew that you had to, not without a fight though.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was surely no way the your father could be serious about marrying this…this stranger from another kingdom! Right?

You stormed into your father’s study, fists balled and face red with fury,

“I won’t marry him! I won’t do it!” you roared as you entered the room. Your father rubbed his forehead and sighed, tired.

“It’s not your decision, Y/N. You’ll be leaving next week to the Ice Kingdom.” Was he deaf? Or was he just choosing to ignore you?

“I said I won’t marry him, father! I can’t marry a stranger. You can’t make me leave.”

“I can and I will. It is not your choice to make and the results are out of you hands.”

“Yes, but-” He stood from his seat,

“No! No buts! This marriage is not for you, it is not about what you want. You are marrying the prince to protect our family, to protect our people. Maybe you don’t know, but the Ice Kingdom is a powerful military force. Children are trained in fighting from the day they can walk. Having a good relationship with them can help us if we are attacked. You will marry Jaebum, and you will have an heir. For our family, you shall not sully our name or honour with foolish antics and refusals. This is not for debate.”

“If I marry, I want to marry for love.”

“What a lovely idea! If only we lived in the fairytale worlds of your books instead of reality. You should know by now, very few marriages are of choice of the couple. They’re decided by higher powers in order to protect their bloodlines and countries. Look on the bright side, you’ll inevitably become a queen when Jaebum moves to the throne.”

“I don’t want to be queen! I don’t care about any of this. I just want to travel and live my life beyond the walls of this castle!”

“Well it’s not me you should be begging. It was the king’s choice, he seems quite intrigued by you. You should hope Jaebum is a willful husband who won’t have too many wifely expectations of you and then you’ll get to travel under his watch instead of mine.” he spat. You wanted to scream and throw a tantrum, but that would just be childish. All you did was shriek and walk out of the room, fuming.

It was futile. You could kick and scream at your father all you wanted but it was king who had chosen you. What did he see in you that he didn’t see in your sisters? You weren’t prettier or smarter. You clearly had no manners or tact, and little grace for that matter. If you were a match to Jaebum then you had to assume that Jaebum was somewhat of a harsh personality.

You stomped into your bedroom and threw yourself onto your bed, screaming into your pillow. You thrashed around for a moment, before going still as the burning sensation in your throat implored you to do.

You should be grateful. If you didn’t marry anyone by the time you were thirty you’d be looked at as a spinster and be judged harshly for it. You were lucky to be chosen as a bride at all, you had only just become eligible at only sixteen years old. You were going to marry a future king, and be his queen beside him. You were set. One sentence from that king and your entire life went from an unknown to a set path. Last night you had been merely the youngest daughter in the line of the wind kingdom, now the future queen of the ice kingdom. Your throat caught.

Queen.

A queen.

The word only struck you now and it shook you to your core. You sat up on your knees, hair a mess, and makeup streaking your face.

You had always known your chances of being queen in your own kingdom were slim to none, being that you had four older sisters, and so you happily assumed you would become a lady of the court and provide advice when one of your sisters did take the throne.

You still took the same classes as your sisters, learning how to use all twenty forks, greet important gentlemen, play the piano, learning what topics were suitable for dinnertime chat and what were not. When noblemen looked for wives they seeked out women who would make them look good, the more highly educated you were the more you were worth in their eyes.

You thought those classes would be of no use to you, but now it seemed you would actually have to use them.

You lay, defeated, in your bed, staring up at the ceiling; in one week you would have to leave your home country and never return. You would be leaving behind everything you knew and love to go to a strange, frozen country, completely different from your own. You were going to marry a man you’d never met and spend the rest of your life with him.

 

The soldiers were lined up on a chilly, summer morning. The king stood as trumpets played; he wore a black uniform and a matching cloak, in his hand was a white lily. He walked to the wooden case and placed the flower on top, laying his hand on the surface for a moment. He looked to the priest before taking his seat.

Jaebum rose next, in similar clothing to his father, though he wore his military uniform. He lay the simple flower on the lid of the casket before taking his own seat. Several more people went to place lilies, including his brother’s fiancee, some of the soldiers in his platoon and the duke and duchess (the king’s brother and his wife).

“May we all rise to sing the hymn in memory of Prince Seung-Yoon of the Ice Kingdom.” Jaebum had considered doing a eulogy in memory of his brother, but decided there were not enough words to express the importance of that man in his life, that his silence would mean far more at this funeral than any speech could. He and his father got up from their seats, and joined hands, to his left was his brother’s fiancee, Ji-Yeon who took his hand as she gently sobbed.

They began to sing the words of ‘Be Thou My Vision’, at which point various people began crying, by the end there was not a dry eye except for his own father’s as the coffin was lowered into the ground. They quietly trailed down the hill as the rain grew heavier to get to the service which was held in the palace.

When they reached the gates of the cemetery they found a large gathering of people from the village which surrounded the castle. They were wearing their darkest coloured formals and were handing lilies to Jaebum, the king and Ji-Yeon. Jaebum thanked them softly and squeezed their hands during this dark time.

The service dragged far too long. It was a time for people to pay their condolences to the family, and their former prince. Jaebum knew the purpose of this was to garner sympathy for his father’s campaign, but he would not make a scene at a funeral for his own brother. Jaebum watched as his father took gifts of food, and herbs, along with donations of money as aid to campaign so “no man would die needlessly like this again.” What other lies would this man string for himself?

When the service finished, Jaebum began to walk towards his room when his arm was caught by Namjoon, the royal advisor.

“Your majesty, you still have the task of discussing matters of the throne yet. You cannot leave yet.” Jaebum groaned, he was in no mood for the politics of the throne, but if he didn’t discuss it now he would have to do it later.

He followed Namjoon up the the stairs to his father’s study, in which his father and the royal lawyer, Kim Seokjin, were waiting. He took his seat beside his father a Seokjin began,

“We are here today to discuss matters of the royal and officiate all documents necessary.”

They all nodded in agreement, “With the recent passing of Prince Seung-Yoon, Prince Jaebum shall now take his place as heir to the throne. With the role now passed you, I’m sure you already have an understanding of what will be required of you.” Jaebum gave him a tight-lipped smile and a small nod, he just wanted this over with. “Jaebum, as the next in line to the throne you are now expected marry, and soon. The Duke, you uncle, is married and is a potential threat to the throne if he and the duchess manage to have a child before you do. This is why you must find a wife and have an heir as quickly as possible.”

“How quickly?”

“Two years.”

“What? I can’t find a wife and have a child in that time. It’s not possible. It takes time to fall in love with someone deeply enough to have a child with them. Plus it takes time to court, and I have to leave for the military tomorrow.”

“We have already discussed that. I am leaving for the Wind Kingdom next week to find you a wife from one of the king’s daughters.”

“You’re finding me a wife? Oh my God, you’re arranging a marriage for me.” he barked, exasperated. Everything about arranged marriages horrified him. Two strangers were put together by their parents and expected to fall in love. It was wrong. People were meant to marry because they loved each other not… not for political gain. He could never love a stranger. Or have a child with them for that matter.

“Jaebum, I don’t have any other choice. You must marry within a year, the only option is to arrange a bride for you. My brother threatens to take the throne, so you will marry the woman I choose for you.” He had no words. He was going to marry some woman he didn’t know and live his life with her. She would be the mother of his children and his queen, and he didn’t even know who she was. He wouldn’t even love her. He jerked up from his seat.

“Is that all that needs to be discussed? If so, I’ll take my leave now.” he exited the room, furious.

“That didn’t go well, did it?” Namjoon groaned.

“I said he wasn’t going to like it, you know how he is about these things.” Seokjin commented.

“He doesn’t have to like it. He just has to accept it.”

“You’ve told him for years that he shouldn’t-”

“I know what I did. I didn’t plan for my oldest to get shot in chest, did I? I didn’t think Jaebum would take the throne.”

“You should prepare for every possible scenario my liege.” Namjoon recited.

“I should go and speak to him right?” The two men bobbed their heads in agreement, “We shall finish this discussion later.” he followed after Jaebum to his room.

Jaebum slammed his hand against the table, creating a large dent in the wood. His blood felt hot and his chest was burning. The table beneath his palm began to feel freezing cold when his father flung open the door of his room. Jaebum yanked his hand from the table and turned to face his father.

“You told me I shouldn’t marry. I shouldn’t love. You said I’d hurt anyone who came too close to me.”

“I did say that, but things have changed; when I said you shouldn’t love I thought your brother was going to the throne-”

“So now he’s dead and I’m what you have left?”

“That’s not true, I may not have planned his demise, but as that is how it has played out I will have to do what I can.”

“You will risk me hurting an innocent woman by marrying her? You will force me into an arranged marriage so you can get what you want?”

“You put it bluntly, but yes.”

“You are the most selfish scum I have ever met! Have you no shame?”

“Selfish? I’m doing this for you. I’m doing this for our throne and for our kingdom. You know what your uncle is like, he is not suited to this. I want my son to rule over this place. I know you have what it takes to be one of the best kings this country has ever known. All you have to do is marry and have a child. That’s not difficult, peasants in the downtown areas do it all the time! Jaebum, you may not like this now, but you will thank me for this later, I promise you.” his father left his bedroom.

Jaebum’s hands trembled. He was going to have to accept this, wasn’t he? He was going to be getting married to some princess from the Wind Kingdom. Yes. He wouldn’t do this for his father. He was doing this for the people who he had protected for all of his life.

 

You washed your face and undid your hair. You stared into the mirror.

This is a blessing. You’re lucky. So why then won’t the tears stop?

The week passed too quickly. You didn’t have to pack, the servants would happily do it for you, but you still made an effort to place all of your possessions carefully away. You had several hundred dresses and accessories (of which you maybe only wore five). You packed away jewellery and trinkets as well as the books you liked. You chose a few servants who would come with you to the Ice Kingdom, including one of your closest friends, Youngjae.

The day came all too suddenly. You were woken before your sisters and dragged out of bed to be dressed. You were given comfortable clothes to wear as the journey across the border to the Ice Kingdom would take a number of days. The Ice Kingdom became intolerably cold at night, dropping below freezing on most nights which meant that any travellers would have to stop before night fall and sleep in a inn. From the palace, it would most likely take three days to get to the castle, unless weather was bad or you were attacked by bandits. Either way, it would be a long, tedious journey which, in the end, would result in a long, tedious life with Prince Jaebum.

You pulled on your cloak and arrived down by the gates of the palace, your sister were still in their nighties and had simply put on their coats in order to say goodbye. You watched the horses and carriages be loaded with crates and supplies. Katerina pulled you into a tight bear hug whilst Victoria gave you a gentle embrace quite typical of someone of her standing. Youngjae appeared and told you it was time to leave. You went to your father before you boarded the carriage.

“Goodbye father.”

“Farewell, daughter, I bid you a safe journey and comfort when you arrive.” His hug was weak, he knew you were unhappy but he couldn’t do anything about it. You gave him a sad smile and climbed into the carriage, holding Youngjae’s hand for support.

Once inside, Youngjae joined you to keep you company on the journey over. Guards shut the doors, and moments later the carriage shunted forward as the horses began to move out of the gates. Your sisters were vigorously waving at you, chasing the carriage right to the very end as it exited the gates.

You spent almost the entire day travelling. With little else happening on the trade roads you managed to cover a significant distance on the first day, stopping at a small inn on the border of the Wind Kingdom before you would journey to the harsher terrain of the Ice Kingdom.

The next day was congested with movement from a travelling circus cutting through the Wind Kingdom to reach the Water Kingdom as there was trouble in the area bordering the Ice and Water KIngdoms so they couldn’t move through there. You settled in another inn, finding that the weather was definitely different in this place. You knew that it got cold in the Ice Kingdom, but you hadn’t anticipated that windows and doors would be almost frozen solid the next morning when you awoke. You were forced to wake up early to arrive at the palace at a reasonable hour, for the final stretch of the journey. Because this would be the first time the people of the Ice Kingdom would see you, you were expected to come in formals, thus meaning you were bound into a corset and one of your ‘less comfortable’ dresses.

Once the door of the inn was pried open, you were met by a gust of cold air; clearly your dress was not made for this form of weather. You draped your cloak round your shoulders and hopped into your carriage, ready to see the place you were going to be calling home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your arrival in the kingdom has certainly drawn a lot of attention.

Jaebum paced around the library. Today was the day. The princess was arriving today. He had only just returned from patrolling the wall, hopeful that his father would have decided against marrying him to a princess, but unfortunately no. His father had come back from the Wind Kingdom beaming, excited to inform Jaebum that he had chosen a wife for him.

His father knew nothing about him. There was no way he could have picked a suitable bride for him. Not that he wanted a bride chosen for him at all. His father would have chosen a some vapid, foolish woman, undoubtedly beautiful, but hollow minded.

He looked out the window, down at the village. No sign of the princess yet. The village was only beginning it’s day, he watched as the grocer set out his crops for the morning, smoke began to rise from the chimney of the baker as he began baking the bread and the seamstress hung the fresh material from the window to dry. He sighed at the thought of a normal life. These people didn’t know what it meant to be them. They could become anyone they wanted, something Jaebum was once able to do, though now he was the future king.

He understood it was a privilege to be born with a silver spoon in his mouth, being the second son meant he got the best of both worlds. He was given the comfort of a palace being his home but the freedom to do what he wanted whilst his brother trained to become king. But that had all changed.

He groaned as he leaned against the window.

“Sounds like you’ve got something on your mind.” Jaebum turned to see his old friend Captain Jinyoung Park standing in the doorway. Jaebum’s frown changed to a wide grin.

“Park! I haven’t seen you in months. How was it in the Water Kingdom?”

“It was fun and all, though I can never get enough of Mable’s apple pies back here so I had to return. It seems a lot has changed in the time I was absent.”

“My brother passed away. And now I am to be king.” Jinyoung knew about Jaebum’s brother, but he always tried to look on the bright side of things,

“That’s a good thing, right?” Jaebum rubbed the back of his neck,

“I’m getting married.”

“What? To whom? I was only gone for four months. And last time I checked you weren’t courting anyone.”

“I wasn’t, and I’m still not. My father has arranged for me to marry a princess from the Wind Kingdom. We need to produce an heir within two years.”

“That’s…a lot. Are you alright?”

“What do you think? I haven’t even met this girl. All I know is she’s the king’s youngest daughter.” Jinyoung looked perturbed,

“How young?” he said looking a little concerned,

“Don’t be disgusting Jinyoung, she isn’t that young. She’s sixteen.”

“She’s four years younger than you; are you sure you’ll get along?”

“If she’s my father’s choice, I’ll probably loathe her.” Jinyoung looked bemused,

“Sounds like you’ve already decided to hate her.”

“No, I’m just…I’m just not expecting much. I don’t know. There’s a lot happening and I’m not prepared for it.”

“You should go into town and clear your head. I’m sure the common people would be happy to see you.

“You don’t mind me leaving you?”

“Don’t worry about me, old friend. I have some chamber maids to get re-acquainted with.” he laughed, winking at Jaebum.

Jinyoung had always had a weakness for beautiful woman, or to put it simply, he was a complete letch. Jaebum couldn’t think of a servant in the palace who hadn’t either slept with Jinyoung or at least had thought about it. Jinyoung had been orphaned as a child and had no family name. Park was given to him when began training at only three years old to join the army. Because he had no family name, he had no status to uphold which meant he could sleep around, drink like a drunkard and fight like a criminal without thought because he wouldn’t be tarnishing his family legacy. His free thought and open mind had managed to get him promoted to the Captain of the Royal Guard mainly because he was one of the most highly trained men in the army, but also because he was willing to take risks.

Jaebum headed down stairs and saw the palace was already preparing for the princess’s arrival. The statues were being wiped down, the floors were being energetically scrubbed, as were the windows. Carpet was being rolled out, maids were running with fine china ready to set the table.

The servants looked over at him and knew from his posture and furrowed brow that he was in no mood to speak. He walked out the doors, and entered into the village.

The excitement within the small town was similar to that of the castle. They hung banners from the sides of the buildings, lanterns were strung up from wooden posts, assortments of fruits were displayed on tables. This kingdom hadn’t seen a princess in decades. Seung Yoon’s fiancee was a noble woman from the Ice Kingdom, you would be the first princess since Jaebum’s grandmother, as Jaebum’s own mother was a servant of the Ice Palace who his father fell for.

“Good morning, Prince Jaebum. You must be excited to meet the princess.” The blacksmith said, carrying several swords for the camp by the castle.

“I’m just trying to ready myself, I thought I’d walk through the town.” The blacksmith patted Jaebum’s shoulder and headed on his way. Jaebum wandered around aimlessly, simply enjoying seeing people going about their lives. He wondered what kind of life he would’ve lead if he were one of them. He would’ve ended up being a soldier most likely, he found himself drawn to fighting and war even as a royal, so that would’ve been the path he took.

He strolled into the seamstress’s store, several young women were working away.

“Jaebum! What brings you down to our humble establishment?” asked Hazel, the seamstress’s daughter and the main designer in the village.

“Oh I thought I’d stop by and pay you a visit before I become swamped with all my royal duties when the princess arrives.”

“You must be happy! You’re getting a pretty bride without even having to court her. My brother would love that.” Her brother tossed wood in the fire and stuck his tongue out,

“It’s not my fault Carolina can’t see how great I am!”

“Carolina broke up with you?” Jaebum asked, surprised.

“Yes, she said I wasn’t the kind of man she wanted. You get a wife without trying. Gosh, if all that had to happen for me to get a wife is tell my dad and have him find me one, I would.”

“It’s not as fun as it sounds. What are you making there anyway?” Jaebum asked, quickly changing the subject. Hazel clapped,

“It is your suit for your official meeting of the princess. Isn’t it nice? When the princess arrives I’ll measure her so I can make her dress, I’ve already got some ideas for it, but I’ll have to see what she looks like.” She lead Jaebum over to the mannequin on which a white suit was being made. Jaebum had many suits made for him before, so she already knew his measurements.

It was completely white, with gold buttons lining the front. It had a long tail coat with a gold trim along the edge. Hazel took a pale blue ribbon and tied it round the waist, along with sash of the same colour to go over his shoulder.

“You could attach some of your medals to the sash, and you’ll wear your special hat that you do for all the military stuff.” It never failed to amaze him what she could make.

“Wow, it looks great! I’m curious as to how you’ll outdo yourself for my wedding.”

My wedding. It was becoming more and more real now. He was going to be getting married. He ran his hand along the sleeve of the coat,

“I’ll see you when you meet the princess then.” his mood had dropped. He quickly fled from the store and began to make his way back to the castle. It was nice to pretend that he was normal every once in awhile, but now it was back to reality. Back to marrying a stranger from thousands of miles away.

“We’ll be arriving at the palace in fifteen minutes, your highness.” the carriage driver stated. You looked out the frosted over window. You saw that they had made arrangements for your arrival, having put up decorations all around the town. It was obvious that your carriage was not from the Ice Kingdom, the colour of the Wind Kingdom was silver, whilst the Ice Kingdom was represented by white.

Immediately people began to gather around the sides of the carriage. Obviously your guards were on either side for safety, but you could still see people vigorously waving and throwing flowers at the carriage. Children were being lifted by their parents to see above the crowds and you could hear cheers all around.

“They seem happy to see you.” Youngjae commented as peered at the crowds. You felt embarrassed, back in the Wind Kingdom you’d never seen such a large gathering of people in the town square, though admittedly you hadn’t been outside your palace since you were five years old. You pulled the hood of your cloak over your head to hide your face.

The carriage continued its journey through the village until you finally arrived at the gates of the palace. You heard the gates loudly open before the carriage was lead into the front garden of the palace. There were intricately trimmed hedges, gorgeous beds of flowers which you couldn’t even imagine growing in the Wind Kingdom, and the palace itself was a spectacle.

It was probably larger than your castle back home, with white and grey walls. It towered over you, and looked as though it could’ve been made of ice. You stopped. You could hear the guards from your country speaking to the ice guards. The door opened and Youngjae leapt out in order to help you down the small steps. He held his hand out, which you gladly took as you stepped out the carriage.

The carriage stopped. She would get out. Any minute now. Jaebum’s brow knitted as he stared down at the courtyard. What does she even look like? He didn’t want to know you, and yet the anticipation ate at him nonetheless. He saw the door open, and someone who appeared to be your man servant climbed out so he could help you.

The first thing he saw was your hand, as it took your man servant’s hand so you get out. It was gloved, but visibly small, though your fingers were long in proportion to the rest of you hand. Refined. He held his breath, only to find that your face was hidden by a cloak.

Jaebum let out an exasperated sigh. You had to be concealed behind the damn thing didn’t you. You began to walk to the palace, at which point Jaebum made his way out the library and over to the bannister which looked over the entrance hall; surely you would reveal yourself then?

The many Ice Kingdom servants were dashing about, carrying your suitcases and boxes of items over to your room. Jaebum’s father appeared and ran down so he could greet you. You entered into the brightly lit hall, face still out of sight behind the dark hood. Jaebum’s father gave him a look to tell him to leave, only for Jaebum to impishly pout and shake his head. His father narrowed his eyes before meeting you gaze. By tradition, Jaebum and you were not meant to see each other until your ‘official’ meeting. Though Jaebum was never one to abide by the rules.

“Princess! I trust your journey was pleasant. I hope you liked our set up for your arrival.” the king greeted you as he walked ran down the stairs. You looked around.

“It’s very beautiful.” you acknowledged.

“As are you, princess.” he bowed and kissed the back of your hand. “Let me introduce you to the staff who will be taking care of you in castle.” he began presenting you with various servants, Paige, Gertrude and Jillian would be involved in dressing you, Mattias and Tobin would be available to serve you food when asked, as well as various other people.

“Finally these are some of the most important people you will have in your artillery, this is Kim Namjoon, who will escort you on excursions as your royal advisor.” He gestured to tall man with tanned skin, who bowed at you. He had a tough demeanor, but he seemed like one of those gentle giant types. “This is Kim Seokjin, our lawyer who shall take care of all of the legalities within this marriage.” Another tall man, maybe a bit shorter than Namjoon and had a softer face. “Captain Park Jinyoung, he shall be choosing who will keep guard of you and will also escort you on meetings and journeys away.” A man in a military uniform saluted you before bowing. “And this is Gilda, the head maid of this household as well as our main nanny. If you have any problems you can come to Gilda for help, she’s been in this place almost as long as I have.” An older lady stepped out from behind Jinyoung, she was small and plump with a round, gentle face, though it seemed as though she could pack a punch if you made her mad.

“It is great to meet you princess, I hope to make time here pleasant.” She curtsied and took you hand, giving it a light squeeze. 

“Now princess, you are no longer out in the sun, please, take off your cloak so we can see you better.” Before you could even respond one maid had appeared in front of you and unbuttoned your cloak whilst another behind you pulled it from your shoulders and tossed on the pile of boxes one of the servants was carrying.

Jaebum’s eyes grew wide. So this was her? Your curls were tied up with a small tiara placed on the front of your head. You were blinking at the sudden brightness of the sun. Jaebum eyes were firmly trained on you. He had overheard the servants talking about your family,

“The prince is marrying one of the wind king’s daughters!”

“Really? They’re considered the most beautiful across the five kingdoms.”

“I know. He’s one lucky man, I can tell that much.”

It appeared the rumors were true. You looked slightly taken aback by your surroundings, eyes wide and doe like as you took the grandeur of this place. You were quite…beguiling. No. He would not be won over by a pretty face. He was not his father’s son. He quickly turned away and went to his bedroom.

Everyone seemed to be looking at you strangely. Even the king looked amazed, though he was quick to snap out of it,

“Princess, as a gesture of welcome, allow me to show you round the palace myself.” he quickly took your your arm and began to lead you through the halls. He showed you round the various rooms, firstly the dining hall which was not dissimilar to your own; the kitchen, the pantry, then the grand hall, a gigantic room with huge stained glass windows and the largest chandelier you’d ever seen. Next you went to study and the sitting room, which lead you out into the garden pointing out the large glass house as the two of you went. He quickly walked past the library, which you were far more interested in though he seemed occupied with getting you round the castle quickly. Eventually he took you up the stairs to the bedrooms.

“Jaebum and my own rooms are in the east wing this way,” he motioned to the left, “the guest bedrooms are in the west wing this way, you shall be sleeping here for the next few months. Once you and Jaebum marry, you shall sleep in the main bedroom with him since it is much more spacious and comfortable. But I think you’ll like your room even though it is smaller.” He brought you to your room. “I’ll leave you to unpack. You can get dinner when you want , though the staff tend to clean up by nine.” He began to walk away,

“When will I meet Jaebum? At dinner?”

“Already eager! That’s good to see. As a matter of tradition, you can’t see Jaebum till next week. It will be your first meeting and shall be when he officially proposes you, in front of the villagers. And I will give my blessing and other such things. It’s already been set but Seokjin has advised me that we should stick to customs.”

“I see. Well if that’s the case I will see you at dinner, thank you.” You entered your bedroom and were met with a spectacularly large room. There was a four poster bed with roughly twenty pillows piled on it, and wardrobe and a vanity, along with several book shelves. Your boxes and suitcases were stacked in the corner.

You unpacked the smallest box. It contained the things you held most important to you, the things your sisters and friends back home had given to you. Inside, Victoria had packed you one of her favourite necklaces, the servants had given you a variety of knick knacks and Katerina had packed you a fluffy bear, though you yourself had packed toy rabbit given to you at birth by your mother. At the bottom of the box was what your father had given you. It was a series of letters tied together with some ribbon, he’d told you they were letters from your mother, but you couldn’t open them now. You set your stuffed animals on the bed, and hung up some of your dresses in wardrobe.

You didn’t have much of an appetite, so decided against going down to eat, but you had been intrigued by the library. Before you could even think about walking over the door swung open and Gilda along with several maids pushed in.

“We’ve come to help you out of your dress, princess. How did you enjoy dinner?” Gilda announced as she barged in the room.

“I’m wasn’t really hungry.” you said softly, Gilda’s eyes growing wide,

“You didn’t eat? You must be starving now. Jillian, go and grab some bread for the princess.”

“I’m fine really-” Gilda had already made leeway on your dress having undone the outer bodice which often took ten minutes to take off.

“Nonsense. You’re so skinny! How are you supposed to bare a viable heir when you’re skin and bone. We have to fatten you up. Now, tell me, how do you like this place so far? It’s nice, isn’t it? Do you know much about the prince? If not, I can tell you what you need to know, I raised him like he’s my own since he was born. The king wasn’t lying, you can ask us anything you want, the girls and I are the eyes and ears of this place.” Gilda was animated as she tugged your petticoat off. She seemed to ask a lot of questions without giving you much time to answer. She could sense how nervous you were, you clearly felt uncomfortable in this new setting so she filled the room with conversation and sound so you could get a little more used to this place. Her nosiness got the better of her,

“Do you know what is expected of you?”

“What do you mean?”

“The king hasn’t told you what the terms of you engagement and marriage are?”

“No? I thought I was marrying Jaebum?”

“Yes, but-nevermind. Mr Seokjin Kim will tell you.”

The days went by much faster than he anticipated. Jaebum didn’t see much of you at all after that day. He didn’t know how the staff managed to do it but they kept the two of you separated for the entire week.

The only time he saw you other than on your arrival was when he was walking with Jinyoung in the garden. He had only seen you because Jinyoung had gone to talk to Mildred. Or Mable. Or Mary? Something like that.

He’d looked up and seen Gilda tying your hair up in front of the window. You were saying something to her, not that he could hear what was being said. You seemed lively as you spoke and Gilda was nodding away as she took a black ribbon and knotted it in a bow in your hair. He saw the was it outlined your neck as a few stray strands seemed to fall around the side of your face. It seemed almost picturesque. It was true that he’d never seen a woman like you before, but it wasn’t exactly shocking, you weren’t from the Ice kingdom after all. He assumed all women in the Wind kingdom were beautiful, that was the only way to explain your looks in his eyes. Before he could even consider your appearance further, Jinyoung jogged up beside him and they continued their conversation.

Jaebum adjusted his sash in the mirror. He wore the few medals he earned serving in the military, for bravery, intelligence, strength and other honours that life in hostile lands had awarded him with. Hazel’s work was magnificent. The suit was crisp and white, fitting perfectly to his wide shoulders and chest. He the did the gold buttons up and placed his military hat on his head, a white piece with a black brim and and a gold band wrapped around. His black boots had been laced to the knees and to finish off he slipped white gloves over his hands.

He would officially see you in the grand hall. The gates would be opened and all the villagers could come and see you properly for the first time. Everyone already knew that your marriage was set in stone, but it was considered important for Jaebum’s father to bless the marriage and have Jaebum publicly propose to you.

He went down and found that people were already waiting; they were over an hour early. He politely greeted them and conversed with them to the best of his ability, though he was certainly not the best when it came to public speaking. 

Ten minutes before you were to arrive and the hall was almost full. Namjoon lead him to the back of the hall, and the band was faintly playing. Five minutes before you were to arrive and people had quietened down, though he could still hear whispers and murmurs in the hall. The music was still hushed and his father then came to join Jaebum.

“Do not make a scene here. Understand?” Jaebum begrudgingly nodded in response when he heard the simultaneous turn of everyone’s heads. You had arrived.

This was not your wedding day, therefore the dress was purple instead of white. Across all five kingdoms it had been agreed that purple was a regal colour, whilst not the national colour of any country, it was universally accepted as a colour that only royalty wore. The dress you wore was off the shoulder, and pale purple colour. The bodice had a floral pattern embroidered into it. The skirt was several layers of mesh, starting with a pale blue layer and slowly shifting to a lavender colour. Your hair was neatly done up and you wore white gloves just above your elbows. Around your neck were the pearls Victoria had given you.

You slowly walked down the stairs. Jaebum was astonished; the way the light seemed to hit you seemed almost angelic. You were trying your best to walk down the stairs gracefully, but your ability to walk in heels was certainly limited. The building was old and the stairs had not been refurbished, several people had complained that it was possible to fall whilst walking on them.

You arrived at the last few steps and Jaebum had begun making his way to the centre of the hall to meet you. The music swelled.

And as you reached the bottom of the steps you fell. Bang. Gasp. You couldn’t fathom how you’d lost your footing on the very last step, but somehow you had. You sat on your knees for a moment, feeling as though your entire life had flashed before your eyes. But this moment would pass and you would just have to keep going.

You stood up and shook yourself off, continuing walking as though nothing had happened. Almost everyone seemed surprised that you maintained your composure, most royals did not handle embarassment in that way. Jaebum was standing there, in the middle and offered his elbow. You could tell he was hiding a smirk and holding back laughter, he most definitely wanted to out loud cackle that you had just fallen straight over at your own engagement.

You ignored him and linked your arm through his elbow. The pair of you walked down the hall, you couldn’t help but feel like a bug under a microscope. You’d already made the mistake of plunging down the stairs, now they were just itching for another reason to think you were unsuitable. Perhaps it was for the best.

This was the first time you’d seen Jaebum. Katerina unequivocally wasn’t lying about him being good looking. Without question he was the most handsome man you’d ever seen, and if he had come to the Wind kingdom he would’ve found a wife within an hour. He was tall, broad shouldered and masculine in every way possible. He had to be a playboy. Any man who looked like this had to have had ten dozen women in his bed, possibly at once. In your experience a man who looked like Jaebum would have a tendency of being cocky, maybe even arrogant. The smug smirk wasn’t helping him either.

You and Jaebum knelt down before the king, who rose from his throne.

“Welcome. Today is great day for the Ice kingdom. I present you with my son, Jaebum, and his future wife, princess Y/N. She comes from the Wind kingdom. Today I bless their marriage before all of you here. I, King Taek-Geun of the Ice kingdom, bless the union of my son and this princess here and now.” Applause rang through the hall.

You stood up, whilst Jaebum rose to one knee and awkwardly took one of your hands, forcing you to turn to him. It was obvious he didn’t want to do this.

“Princess Y/N, whilst we have not known each other long, will you do me the great honour of becoming my wife in the months to come, and spending the rest of our lives together?” It was posed as though it were a question, even though you had only one answer you could give. You would not shame your family by causing an issue now, suddenly deciding to decline his offer. You gave him a forced smile,

“Yes, Prince Jaebum, I agree to marry you.” Whoops and cheers erupted from the crowd and the king had a satisfied smile on his face.

You and Jaebum were expected to walk back up the infamous stairs and exit the hall together as you were now engaged. You were still in the castle so all that really meant was walking into the study so you could finally find out what this marriage business would entail. As the two of you exited the hall, Jaebum leaned over to you,

“Don’t trip over your own feet again, princess. We wouldn’t want you breaking that pretty face of yours.” His patronising smile made your blood boil, causing you to slip and ‘accidentally’ stomp on his foot. He would’ve screamed if he wasn’t in the busy hall, but instead bit his tongue and limp the rest of the way up.

If his foot wasn’t throbbing as though Satan himself had stepped on it, he would’ve been amused. It seemed his future wife had fiery temper.

You arrived in the study were Seokjin, Namjoon were already waiting along with a woman you hadn’t seen before..

“It’s good to see you again princess,” Seokjin commented, “We’ll get down to the basics of your wedding and marriage and Minah here will walk you through the details of your wedding. Jaebum has already been informed of what is required of him, so this meeting is mainly for you, princess, as well as a reminder for Jaebum.” Jaebum looked clearly disinterested, “Your wedding will be in three months, normally we would have longer but I will get to that in a moment. You will hold an engagement party next month which is when you will properly meet the common people and this is the time the schmooze them and make them like you. After your wedding you are expected to attend the reception and talk to the more esteemed guests. After that you and Jaebum are expected to consummate the marriage on that night. There will be witnesses in close proximity to you to make sure this occurs-not in the room mind you. Once the marriage occurs you and Jaebum must conceive a child as quickly as possible. Preferably a son. You should aim to do this within a year. Any questions?” It felt as though you’d been trampled by a horse. Marriage had been one thing, how had sex and pregnancy not crossed your mind? You felt sick.

Seokjin took your silence as a no and nodded at Minah who looked excited,

“I don’t normally have so little time to plan a wedding, but I shall take it as a challenge. This will be the biggest event since…since…I don’t know but it’s going to be big! We haven’t had a royal wedding in decades and I’m ready to use my finely honed skills for this. Hazel is already working on your engagement dress and your wedding dress. I don’t want you to feel stressed, so I intend to take all the weight of planning a wedding off your shoulders. But, as I’m sure you have ideas for it so feel free to give any ideas to me so I can add them in. I’ve already made some plans, but you can think it over tonight and talk to me tomorrow.”

You’d barely heard a word she’d said. You definitely knew you were going to have to sleep with Jaebum when he became your husband but, the thought made you want to run for the hills. You’d known him for less than thirty minutes and you already disliked him. You were going to marry him. That was if you didn’t throw yourself off the highest tower first.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a poor introduction to Jaebum, the tension between you two only seems to grow.

You sat in the bath, arms crossed, pouting. Jillian washing your hair whilst Paige was scrubbing at your legs and Gertrude was running around looking for soap and towels.

“Your knees are all scraped up from the fall. And you stockings are a bit scuffed up, but the dress is fine.” Paige commented as she rubbed soap in your hair. No reply. “I like the dress, it’s not something I could wear but you looked like a real life fairytale princess.” she smiled wistfully.

“Thanks. I don’t know how I’m supposed to bounce back after that fall but I’ve got other issues to deal with beyond that.”

“You already bounced back by getting up and walk like nothing happened. Other royals have thrown tantrums over a fall like that.” you laughed at the idea. “So, how do you like the prince?” Paige asked, eyes bright with intrigue,

“He’s…something else.”

“He is! Are there men like him in your kingdom? He’s popular with girls here, even Jill over here likes him.”

“Do not!” Jillian cried.

“She totally does. So? What are boys like where you’re from? Are they handsome?” More like stricken by plague.

“Boys in my kingdom don’t look much like Jaebum. The ones who are popular tend to be quite similar to him though.”

“Do you like him? All the girls here like him. But he’s never been very interested in us. He seems more into fighting and writing and things like that.” she leaned into you slightly, “There were rumours that he’s more interested in the company of men.” she giggled.

“Paige, you can’t just say that!” Jillian protested,

“Really? Do you believe the rumours?” you queried,

“Well, he does spend most of his time with legions of muscular soldiers. And he’s around that Jinyoung a lot, but Jinyoung was sleeping with Evangeline last time I checked so…I don’t know? If I were to guess I’d say no.”

“Why?”

“Only because whilst he is disinterested in women, he’s just as disinterested in men. I think he prefers being alone from what I’ve seen walking around the palace.”

“Why do you dislike him, princess?” Gertrude had peeked out from under the cupboard.

“I never said I dislike him.”

“No, but you described him as ‘something else’. And you didn’t smile when you said so you don’t like him. Your tone when you talked about the guys like him in your kingdom only stands to emphasise that idea.” So Gertrude could apparently read you like a book. And now she had opened the floodgates,

“I don’t like him at all! He’s so smug and so…so…ugh! I don’t know! I don’t like him.”

“You only spoke a few words to him.” Gertrude countered,

“And that was a few words too many. I only need to speak to him once to know I don’t like him.” The three women exchanged a look, but said nothing else, and you went back to absent minded discussion.

Once you were dried off and dressed in a simple nightie, you found yourself wandering to the window, it was large, and overlooked the back garden. You crawled onto the window sill and unlocked the windows. They opened easily, allowing the windows to swing freely open. Surely that would make it easy for you to suddenly escape? You gripped a wooden handle by the side of the window to lean out the window.

Peering downwards, you realised that escape was virtually impossible. The drop from your window was well over fifty feet. Unlike your old home, there was no trellis to climb down, the next window down was too far a drop to reach. Not to mention there were guards posed at all sides of the castle. You sighed, it wasn’t as if you’d try to escape.

Marriages within royalty were the uttermost importance, it would be shameful to try and leave. You were the Wind king’s daughter, it was his decision for you to marry Jaebum, marrying for love was an considered foolish and flighty. This marriage was for your people’s safety, it was not for your needs, and you valued the people more so than yourself, so if marrying Jaebum would keep them safe, you would do it no matter how much you deplored him.

A cool breeze blew through your hair, the air quickly grew icy, and the thin nightgown provided little protection from the chill. Birds flew above you, seemingly flying towards the moon. What would it mean to fly like them? If you could fly, you would have soared away from this place to a far away land. But no, you had a duty here, there was no way to fly away. You leaned back, pulling the window shut, and closed the curtains.

Namjoon came in,

“Princess, I’ve come to walk you through your day tomorrow.” You turned from your perch to face him,

“Ok, walk me through, Mr Advisor.” He smiled at the name you’d given him,

“You have breakfast at eight with the household, that of course being, Jaebum, the king, the duke, the duchess and Jiyeon. Gilda will wake you up and get you ready with the rest of the maids. After breakfast you will have dance class with Jaebum and Madame Adelisa, in preparation for your wedding obviously. By then it will be noon and therefore time for lunch, most likely it will be you, Jaebum and the king. After lunch you can plan your wedding with Minah or freely roam the castle. Dinner will be at seven. Any questions?”

“Dance class? Why would I need to dance at my wedding?” When both of your elder sisters married you were too young, and were not allowed out of the castle so you’d never actually been to a wedding before and didn’t really understand the big deal of them.

“You and Jaebum will share a first dance in front of the guests, you need to be able to waltz with your new husband. Though I’m sure you’ve danced at your own balls back home.” You gave him a quick nod, taking in this information, and dismissed him for the night.

The gates to the Wind Palace had been closed since you had been five years old. You’d never seen a ball, let alone danced at one.

You threw yourself into bed, almost swallowed up by the thick duvet. Almost of all of the clothing and bedding made in the Ice Kingdom was bulky and warm.

The Ice Kingdom gained its name from its distinctive weather and climate, as all five Kingdoms had; as well as the powers of mystics within their borders. The Ice Kingdom was naturally the coldest area, in the night time reaching well into negative temperatures. Snow was not uncommon, and blizzards were a regular occurrence. To the west was a frozen wasteland, where the worst criminals would be left to die.

Similarly, the Water Kingdom was several thousands of islands of varying warmth, but all surrounded by large bodies of water considered to be the Water king’s territory. It was mostly warm but in areas next to the Ice Kingdom it became slightly colder.

The Wind Kingdom was on the highest ground of all the kingdoms. The area was overall hilly and mountainous, surrounded by trees. Often the buildings were covered by clouds and hurricanes usually occurred on the lower ground around it.

The kingdoms which bordered the Wind Kingdom didn’t dare to attack the area. It was mostly the high ground, the palace sat in one of the highest sections of the area, whilst your people were adapted to thinner air, invaders were not. The Earth kingdom was distinguished by its rustic landscape. It was considered the most primitive of the kingdoms, with many villages still living in small wooden huts and people hunting animals for food. They did have a comfortable life, with several homes built within the trees, and generations of living next to nature had made them agile and quick, and for what they were given, they knew exactly how to make it work. Finally there was the Fire Kingdom, the hottest of all the Kingdoms. Several volcanoes were on the outskirts, and if you were to wander too far you find yourself in a desert with no sign of life.

The Ice Kingdom was definitely and cold place in the evenings, but during daylight hours the weather could almost be considered pleasant.

You gathered the heavy sheets around your body. You’d been here for over a week, but the silence still pained you. You were so used to your sisters gossiping and giggling, now the only sound was a dying fire. You squeezed your sister’s bear to your chest, finding comfort in the familiar smell that made it seem as though you were still in your home even though you were not.

You awoke to Gilda whipping the duvet from on top of you causing you to curl into a ball in the centre of the bed.

“Let me sleep.” you groaned as you hid your face with the bear.

“If I did that I would never hear the end of it from Mr Namjoon. Now out of bed young lady.” She took you by the arm a somehow managed to get you to stumble towards the mirror, quickly brushing the tangled mass that some would call “your hair” whilst the maids dashed in and began the onslaught of makeup and dress layers.

You were then dragged to breakfast by Gilda, who seated you at the end of the table nearest the king.

“Good morning!” he said, oddly peppy for man awake before eight in the morning. Shortly after, the oh-so-lovely Jaebum made his appearance, unsurprisingly as overdressed as you were for what would be considered a family breakfast. He took on the seats furthest from you, only to be called on by his father who pointed to the seat opposite you. Jaebum sighed and begrudgingly moved over, barely glancing at you as he took his seat.

A young woman, wearing all black and therefore still grieving a death was already seated and eating porridge, you assumed she was Jiyeon. A man not much younger than the king came in along with a glamorously dressed woman who must have been a decade younger than him. She wore the clothes of an aristocrat, and most likely considered herself as such as she stood tall, her face powdered a ghostly white whilst her hair was an obvious wig with an assortment of knick knacks thrown in. They had to be the duke and duchess.

Once everyone was settled the king stood up,

“Good morning, family. I trust you slept well last night after all of the celebration, and I’d just like to bless this glorious new day by presenting the most delightful princess Y/N to you all, in case you couldn’t attend yesterday’s ceremony.” You seemed to hear Jaebum scoff at the word “delightful” and immediately glared at him.

Why did you loathe him so? You’d met your fair share of irritating characters in your life but somehow this man made your blood boil like you were wandering through the deserts of the Fire Kingdom. Your heart got racing, you’re body felt hot, you could not understand why he made you so angry with so few words, or in some cases, none.

Almost immediately, you felt the stare of the duchess. From the whispers of the servants as well as what the king had said before he’d chosen you, your marriage to Jaebum stood in the way of the duke becoming king.

The duke was the king’s only brother, therefore the only rival to the king’s rule. If the king had no sons and suddenly died his brother would take the throne. The king did of course have a son, and now the duke stood almost no chance. Almost.

The duchess impaled a piece of bacon on her fork with a level of ferocity that you somehow knew wasn’t for the meal before her but more for the foreign invader sitting at her table. Her pursed lips slowly shifted to a tight-lipped smile,

“As I was unable to welcome you to our home yesterday, allow me to do so now: please, make yourself most comfortable, princess, you’ll be a most esteemed guest for your time here. Enjoy yourself.” There was no warmth in her tone, her words may had been kind but she made no effort to hide her distaste towards you. She was daring you to marry the prince. She saw how you didn’t like him and wanted out, and was testing you. She made you out to be nothing more than a visitor, a passer-by. She saw you as the first, but certainly not the last woman to pass Jaebum. You returned her cold introduction,

“Thank you, duchess. I hope my presence won’t inconvenience you too greatly, I wouldn’t want to ever be in your way.” Her eyes were wide, no one spoke to her in that way. There was a reason she didn’t like you, and you had just given her one more. She gave you a stiff nod and turned back to her food. You could see Jaebum laughing slightly. Maybe he didn’t like the duchess?

The king didn’t seem to notice, and began to chat to you. Most of what he was saying was small talk,

“How did you sleep?”

“How do you like the palace?”

“Did you enjoy the celebrations yesterday?” The usual. You gave the nicest responses you could muster, until he brought Jaebum into the conversation,

“The princess enjoys reading novels, don’t you like those too, Jaebum?” He looked up from the clearly infinitely interesting bowl of soup he’d been gazing into for the last thirty minutes.

“I read mostly strategy novels, the princess wouldn’t care for them.”

“What gave you that idea? I wouldn’t call them my personal favourites but I’ve read the odd piece.”

“Like?”

“The Art of War, the Book of Five Rings. I prefer romance but that’s just me.” he scoffed,

“Romance? You really are quite typical of your gender aren’t you?”

“What’s that supposed to mean? I could almost say the same for you, prince.” Jaebum opened his mouth to retort only to realise he had no intelligent response to your rebuttal.

The king, once again seeming unaware of the tension, clapped his hands together,

“See? You two already share a common interest, you were meant to be.” Both you and Jaebum stared blankly at him, stunned by his ignorance.

The duchess seemed quite pleased by your indifference towards Jaebum. He suddenly stood,

“I have lost my appetite. I shall leave.”

“Jaebum…” The king began, but his son had already left the table. It seemed the possibility of a royal wedding was becoming less and less likely with every passing hour. You heard Namjoon audibly sigh behind you, which the king also didn’t seem to hear.

The rest of breakfast was far less uncomfortable after which Namjoon informed you were needed in the hall for the dreaded dance practice.

It looked different now it was empty. Jaebum was talking to short woman with frizzy, brown hair. She heard you come in, and spun on her heel to face you.

“Princess! You’ve come! I feared Namjoon would forget. I am Madame Adelisa.” She flung her hand out to you, which you timidly shook. “Now. For your wedding you’ll be expected to waltz around the hall once by yourselves before your subjects join in and such. It’s a pretty simple dance, I think you’ll pick it up once I show you.”

Without warning she took you hand and pulled you towards Jaebum. She placed your left hand in Jaebum’s right. She walked round you, then grabbed Jaebum’s free hand and placed it on the small of your back, as she did so she pushed you so your body was pressed against his and your faces were barely and inch apart.

Electricity. Yes, that was the only thing that could explain it. When your bodies lightly touched you felt a shock of energy from your stomach through the rest of your limbs. You had been sleepy and now you felt very awake. You looked up at Jaebum, and you knew he had felt it too. That sudden surge of energy between you two. His dark eyes were wide, he looked taken aback. He was quick to avert his gaze from you, but you knew that whatever that moment was; he had felt it.

“In dance, the man always leads. Jaebum, you step forward with your left foot, out to the side with your right and then close together. Then you do it the other way, step with the right, out to the left then close together and keep doing that. Princess, you’ll be going backwards, but you really just have to follow Jaebum’s steps. As you you’re doing these steps you’ll have to be turning, the waltz generally moves in a circular motion.”

He peered down at you, his eyes settling on your lips. He moved forward with his left foot, in turn you moved your right foot back. It seemed easy, perhaps dancing at the ball wouldn’t be too hard. At first you fell naturally fell into the basic steps, surprisingly, you allowed yourself to move in time with Jaebum, much to Madame Adelisa’s glee. She clapped,

“Good, we can work on the more complex part as the under-arm turns and lifts.”

“Lifts?” Both you and Jaebum said in unison.

“Royals must be proficient in all areas. Skilled in the arts, sciences, sports-” Namjoon began,

“-Religion, education, culture and politics. We’ve heard this before, Kim, every royal gets the same speech.” Jaebum said, exhaling as he turned to Adelisa, “Are you sure we need to learn this now?”

“Prince, the wedding is three months away. Your father had over a year to rehearse for the big day. This is extremely important, this is the first wedding in years, the people have high expectations.” It was clear Jaebum had received a similar speech before as he sighed before pulling you back into hold.

“You turn the princess with your left hand, princess you turn to the right. Just lift your hand and it’ll be easy. I’m sure you’ve done this before, princess?”

“Not particularly, but I’m sure I can learn.”

“Perfect!” Jaebum and you began to dance again, but as you attempted to turn under his arm you got awkwardly stuck under his arm, before tripping over his foot and stumbling. You tried again and again, but you kept getting stuck. “What is this? Jaebum, you’ve been dancing for years, this isn’t hard.”

“Maybe it’s my partner.” he said bluntly. You were able to get the basics, but the intricacies involved had caught you off guard.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t dance much in the Wind Kingdom.”

“It’s fine, just practice by yourself and we’ll try again in a few days.” You hadn’t realised it, but you’d been dancing with Jaebum for a couple hours. It was a lunch time, but you didn’t want to eat with him, so you simply said you felt unwell and bypassed lunch all together.

You left the hall and made a beeline the library. You’d wanted to see it when you first came but the king had walked you past it. You threw the massive double doors open and went into the room you would end up calling a safe haven in this giant castle. It was huge, there must have been thousands of books. It had to be double the size of the one in the Wind Palace. The bookshelves almost reached the ceiling, packed to the brim with novels.

You would have squealed in delight had Namjoon not been standing in the doorway, his head cocked slightly to the side.

“Do you have to follow me everywhere I go?”

“I’m your advisor, but the king has appointed me to look after you until you get married. I have to make sure you are safe and not causing trouble at all times.”

“Shouldn’t he appoint a body guard if he wants to keep me safe?”

“I asked that too, but he insists that I follow you. I’ll do my best to keep out of your way, you can pretend I’m not even here whilst you’re admiring the library.” You turned your attention to the room. You went to the nearest shelf on your right, and grazed your fingers along the spines of the books.

There were fiction and non-fiction books, books on theology and religion, strategy, politics, and books to fantasy lands, books of romance and adventure and everything inbetween. In this new land where you’d have to live, these books were to be the closest thing to home.

You pulled a red bound book entitled “Prometheus Unbound” You had always been intrigued by stories of mythology, this closet play would surely be of interest to you. You took a seat by the bookshelf with your knees pulled to your chest. Within an hour you had finished it, and with every hour that went you read another and another.

“Princess? It is nearly dinner time. You skipped your lunch, I suggest you eat now.” Namjoon’s voice broke through your fantasy as you peered up from a romance novel.

“I’d rather stay here, I’m only halfway through this story!”

“I’m all for reading, but I think you’ve read quite enough.” he gestured to the large pile of books that had accumulated beside you. It was nearing seven in the evening? You had been reading for several hours. “You’ll be dining with Jaebum. Alone.” He said as he helped you to stand. Your hand jerked away.

“I’d rather eat alone.”

“Perhaps if the two of you made an effort, you could like one another. You had a rough start, but hard work pays off.”

“He’s just not someone I want to be around, I’d prefer to walk into battle than talk to him.”

“Your first impression was bad, but that doesn’t mean your entire relationship has to be defined by that.” You rolled your eyes, Namjoon was your advisor, but moreso the king’s servant, clearly it had become his job to push you and Jaebum together.

Before Jaebum could enter the hall, his father pulled him away.

“Jaebum, listen to me carefully. You’ll be dining with the princess alone, this is the time to get to know her. Think of this as courting.”

“If I was courting her then I would choose to find another bride.”

“Always hilarious, Jaebum, but your dry wit is unnecessary. Make small talk, discuss your hobbies. Just talk about something. I know you’re inexperienced, but…be pleasant. You could be likeable to her if you tried.”

“I’d rather not be. I don’t like her at all.” Jaebum’s father was quiet, as his eyes darted around his face.

“Keep telling yourself that.” he shoved his son into the hall and scurried away, leaving Jaebum to sit and wait for you.

You went into the dining hall, which was dimly lit with candles. Jaebum was seated and was waiting for you to come. Food was laid out on the table, and he was itching to just eat already. You naturally went towards the seat furthest from him, but the table had been switched from the morning and was significantly smaller. You sat opposite him, and immediately a bowl of soup was placed in front of you. He glanced up at you but said nothing.

The king, Namjoon, Jinyoung, Gilda, Jillian, Paige and Gertrude were all poised at the door, watching. They were anxious. You and Jaebum seemed to dislike one another and it was growing problematic. A thick silence lingered between you and the prince, both of you awkwardly prodding the soup which had been presented before you.

You and Jaebum sat in silence for two courses, avoiding eye contact and taking small bites of food which, to you, were foreign and strange. Some kind of fruit cake was placed in front of you, which you began to promptly eat.

Jaebum heard a hiss behind him, it was his father giving him one of ‘those’ looks.

“How did you enjoy the dancing this afternoon, princess?” his voice was cold, and his expression was visibly disinterested. Somehow, his voice made you angry. What was this attitude he was giving you? He was so full of himself, you thought, and you couldn’t even explain to yourself why. You were just looking for reason to hate him, even if you had to make one up.

“It was…adequate. I don’t particularly enjoy dancing.” With you, Im Jaebum, you would have added had you not had the feeling that you were being watched.

“You don’t enjoy dance? I assumed most women took enjoyment in the more…artistic subjects. You know? Easier topics.”

Snap.

You stood from the table, fists clenched,

“I don’t know what your opinions are on women, Jaebum. But it is quickly becoming clear to me why you don’t have a wife.” You walked over to his end of the table, stabbed the fork into the cloth, steadily holding his gaze. You leaned forward so you were so close you could feel his breath. “You are deplorable. I never thought I’d meet someone who can get me this angry with one sentence. But you’ve done it. I can’t even be around you without feeling hate. I hate you.” You stormed out the hall, Namjoon quickly following you.

 

One mild attempt at a conversation and you’d angrily argued with him and fled dinner. Your fiery temper had pulled you into another mess. What were you going to do? Apparently you were marrying a sexist, rotten prince, and there was nothing you could do about that. You charged into your bedroom and slammed door shut before Namjoon could come in.

“Princess? I promise you your situation is not as bad as you think.”

“Go away.”

“Then listen to my plea from behind the door. The prince isn’t a bad man. He is foolish, and says things he shouldn’t. I know that what he said seemed disgusting, but that isn’t his opinion.”

“Then why would he say it?”

“He tends to antagonise people, he’s unintentionally offensive. He’s warrior, princess, he expresses himself in war, not words. Try to understand.”

“I’m tired. Go away.” You were in no mood to hear him defend Jaebum. You inwardly screamed. How could someone so awful exist? In that moment you wanted nothing more than to punch him right in the face, and walk right out of this castle. You couldn’t think of a time when you’d hated someone more than him.

So why was it then, that your heart wouldn’t stop beating?

 

His face was hot, he was surprised. His heart felt as though it would burst. He knew you would be angry, but he still said that. And you’d been so close.

You had been furious. You’d looked ready to kill. And somehow Jaebum found that cute. No not even cute. Adorable. A word he’d never even known was in his vocabulary.

Why had he said that? That was the worst choice of words he could have used. He didn’t even think that way, he’d just said it because…because…

Jinyoung moved into the dining room,

“Jaebum! Why would you say something like that?”

“I don’t know.”

“Christ, Jaebum, how were you expecting her to react to that? You know the princess well enough to know she would get angry. And you’ve never spoken to another woman that way. Do you hate her that much that you would push her away like this?” Jaebum was unsure, he’d been telling himself he hated you, and you’d spoken maybe once or twice at most. His entire demeanor changed around you, he became harsh. Cruel, condescending even.

“I don’t know, I just said it.” Jinyoung was confused. His friend was never one to act foolish like this. He never just did something.

Click.

Could it be? Had he said it to see you get mad? Jinyoung had heard that some men were mean to people they liked, out of fear and attention. Jaebum had little female experience, it was possible he was scared. Jinyoung caught his friend’s eye,

“Jaebum. You’re a soldier. You’re smarter than this. If you are cruel, she’ll treat you the same. You aren’t this kind of man. Try harder and stop messing around. She isn’t going to leave, so get used to her.” And with that Jinyoung left the hall.

 

“Your majesty? Are you available to speak now?” Namjoon entered the king’s study.

“You are my advisor, Mr Kim. Please come at any time you feel necessary.” Namjoon gave a slight nod,

“My king, if I may, I would suggest that you send the princess home. Maybe take one of her sisters in place.”

“Why would I do that?”

“You were a witness of dinner, sir. It is clear the princess and Master Jaebum are incompatible. It would be foolish to keep them in each other’s presence any longer. They hate each other.”

“I disagree, Mr Kim.”

“Your majesty, Jaebum insulted the princess’s very gender, the princess is highly opinionated, she could only hate him by this point.”

“Would you like to know something, Namjoon? Love and hate are similar emotions. Some say they are polar opposites, but I disagree. They are intense, they consume you, your entire body and soul. It is surprising how quickly hate can turn to love, and vice versa. Namjoon, I know she’s the one. She’s the only one. Trust me now. You are my advisor, and I know you are telling me what is logical, but love is not logical. It is not reasonable, but it is powerful. Love is irrational, and for that reason, my son and the princess will find their way, one way or another.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love.” -Pride and Prejudice.

Kiss me.

Jaebum opened his eyes. It must have been two in the morning, the sky was dark, and heavy snow was blowing past his window.

That dream had been strange, why would that, that, princess be asking him that? He hated you. Right?

I hate you.

And you hated him. Yes, you hated him, but that hadn’t prevented him from thinking of you. Even though he consciously avoided it, his dreams took his mind to places he didn’t even know it could go to. He shook his head. It was nothing. It would always be nothing after that dinner fiasco.

 

You were glaring at the ceiling.

He was annoying.

So, so, annoying.

Namjoon had left you in your room, as you’d made it clear you were in no mood to talk. You had opened a window in order to cool off, though even the evening cold wasn’t enough. The ceiling had been intricately painted with some kind of star design, as though to mimic a night sky; you would’ve thought it was beautiful if you weren’t so angry.

You felt a sudden pressure on your stomach. Like something was sitting on it. You looked up to see a cat perched on your belly. It was slender, and was mostly white except for a brown face, paws and tail. The eyes were round and blue. You slowly sat up, causing the cat to shift onto your lap.

“Hello there.” you said stroking its head. There was a black collar round its neck, you picked up the tag which read:

Nora

“Is that your name? Nora?” you asked, scratching behind her ears. The cat purred and rubbed its head against your tummy. “You must have come through the window, Nora. Why are you in my room?” It was a cat. Why were you talking to a cat? You must have looked crazy, but at least a cat wouldn’t sass you the way Jaebum did. It continued rubbing its face on your belly. “Did you come to keep me company because I’m upset?” The cat looked up at you, big, round eyes glinting.

Admittedly, your anger had evaporated when this kitty had sat on you. She was so cute, how could you continue being angry? “Do you want to stay here, Nora?” The cat rolled onto her back exposing her fluffy tummy. “Ok, Nora, if you want to go, you’ll need to go now, I have to close the window before it gets too cold.

You walked to the window, carrying Nora in your arms, You placed her on the window sill and closed one of the windows.

“Staying or leaving?” The cat hopped off the ledge and went back to your bed, curling up at one end. “I guess you’re staying.”

You shut the other windows and somehow managed to take off your dress by yourself. You lay down in the bed, and instantly Nora was on your stomach. You were lucky she was so light, or it would’ve been tough to breathe. Nevertheless, you managed to get some sleep, even when a cat had made its home on your torso.

“I see you’ve met Nora.” Gilda’s voice broke through your sleepy haze, and you opened your eyes. She picked up the cat from your stomach, who meowed in protest. “She must like you,” She laughed placing Nora on the ground so you could climb out of bed, “I’m surprised, I always thought she was like Jaebum.” You were dumbfounded,

“She is Jaebum’s cat?” Gilda nodded,

“Jaebum found her a couple years ago now. There was a village not far from here that had been set alight, and Jaebum had to go and do a headcount to see if there were any survivors. He was going through one of the houses and found Nora, she was alone, and it looked like her owners had been killed in the fire, so Jaebum took her back to the palace and has looked after her ever since.” You were slightly amazed. Jaebum was capable of caring for something other than himself? Nora was walking round your ankles, purring.

Gilda quickly changed you into a lightweight dress, then tied your hair up.

“Namjoon told me to inform you that you have free time today. Though you’re going to have an engagement meeting at two. The engagement party will be next week.”

You grabbed two oranges from the dining room, then left to walk around the castle. You had found Jiyeon and the duke eating, the duke informed you that neither Jaebum nor his father were coming for breakfast. And you were fine with that.

The castle was bigger than yours, so there was a lot more to explore. In the main entrance hall, there were several portraits hung up. On either side of the stained glass window atop the stairs, were two portraits. One quite clearly the king from roughly twenty years ago, and the other was a woman. She was pretty, and wore a distinctive white dress, and a crown. You looked at the title given to it.

Queen Hyoeun

Dated back twenty five years ago, so this must be before Jaebum was even born? As you admired the picture, you saw a clear resemblance between her and Jaebum. To the left of Hyoeun portrait was another of her, with a young boy. But that boy didn’t look at all like Jaebum? In fact, you’d not seen anyone who looked like that. Was that Jaebum’s brother? It had to be. But if that boy was his brother, then why was Jaebum ascending to the throne? It made no sense. The rest of the hall was decorated with paintings of landscapes, or various ancestors of the Im royal family.

Nora had been following you around for the entire day. She hadn’t left your side.

You were wondering the corridors of the palace when you spotted a large, silver dress turning the corner. The duchess. You began to walk in the opposite direction, only to hear her high-pitched squeal call your name,

“Princess!” she jogged as quickly as the heavy dress would allow, you turned slowly to face her as your escape had failed. “It’s brunch time isn’t it? Would you join me for some tea and cakes in the back garden? We can gossip together like other ladies do.” her voice was happy and passive, yet her gaze was that of scorn. But who were you to turn down tea and cake?

“Of course, duchess, it would be a pleasure to get to know you better.” she was up to something, but you couldn’t fathom what it would be. You would be living with her anyway, so you would attempt to be as pleasant as your patience would last. She linked her arm through yours, and began to chat about recent news and the weather, small talk mostly.

You were seated outside, looking out at the massive garden. Tobin pulled out your seat for you, whilst Mattias did the same for the duchess. Tea was pourn and a small rack of cakes was placed in front of you. Your vague conversation with the duchess continued, it made her seem almost likeable. The servants stood to the side, waiting in case you wanted anything.

“Must you keep that creature with you?” She pointed to Nora, who had settled on your lap.

“She’s been following me the entire day, even if I wanted to get rid of her I can’t.”The duchess looked mildly irritated but said no more about it.

“You must be the envy of many women, marrying Jaebum. Afterall, he has such savvy manner and immaculate breeding. He’s what any good man ought to be, well-humoured, smart, athletic, handsome.”

“If I didn’t know better I would think you wanted to marry him.”

“A woman my age? He would wear me out in a moment. He’s a gentleman through and through, but his tendencies are for a younger woman than myself.”

It was then the duchess pursed her lips before smiling.

“Princess?”

“Yes?”

“Would you like to know something interesting about the dear prince?”

“Jaebum?”

“Of course.”

“How interesting is it?” You couldn’t see him being anything more than a complete jackass, but perhaps this would change your view. She gave a coy smile,

“I think you’ll consider it interesting as his future wife.”

“Well then, please enlighten me.” she smirked,

“Many people in the village have a nickname for him. I overheard it when I was visiting the local schoolhouse,” she tipped her head, as though she wear trying to remember the name; though it was obvious she was itching to tell you, “Death.”

You blinked at her, perhaps you’d misheard,

“Pardon?”

“Death, sweet princess. The noble prince Jaebum is known as Death by the common people.”

“Why would they call him that?” In an almost sing song voice, as though it were a rhyme or a story you told your children,

“Where that boy goes, death follows. All that surrounds him is death, and all he brings is death. Where people fear death, people fear Jaebum.” You were reeling, Jaebum was a harsh character, but a name like ‘Death’? It seemed too much. “I suppose it’s logical. His mother died giving birth to him, and his brother died on the same battlefield. He’s a soldier, so many men must of died by his hands.” The duchess could see your discomfort. “Are you scared, princess? You needn’t be, I’m sure he could never hurt you.”

So that’s why you didn’t see his mother or brother. They were dead.

“Was Jaebum’s brother older than him?” you asked,

“Well yes, that’s why your marriage is so sudden.” said the duchess, “Seungyoon must have died a little over a month ago. He was set to marry Jiyeon. But Jaebum couldn’t marry her, so his father decided to travel to your kingdom and find a bride. Jaebum is the king’s only other son.” The duchess had dropped a bombshell on you. No one had told you any of this.

How could you not have heard of his brother’s death? You were confused. Before you could ask anything else, Namjoon came jogging onto the terrace.

“Princess! I’ve been looking everywhere for you. You have engagement meeting, it moved to an earlier time, so you could get fitted for your wedding dress.” You looked to the duchess,

“Well I wouldn’t want to keep her with my ramblings, please Namjoon, take the lovely girl.” He stood you from your table and lead you away, you looked back at the duchess, whose expression clearly indicated that she had done what she had set out to do.

Minah quite happily chatted to you about your wedding plans.

“I’m thinking the colour scheme will be coral and baby blue and maybe lilac. The bouquet will be Gladiolus, Asters and Azaleas. Hazel already has some designs for the dress, I mean you saw what she did for the engagement ceremony, she knew your sizes just by looking at you after all! But she will be measuring you, this dress must fit perfectly for this to be the wedding of the century. As for guests, who do you have in mind?”

“Well I want my sisters, and my father. I don’t need much else.”

“Small guest list. It’s fine, the king has aristocrats and noblemen to fill the room, as well as most of his extended family. Then there will be all the soldiers. It will be a big event, Y/N. No allergies right?” You shook your head, “Good, it means we can serve what we want. Cake-wise, I’ve enlisted the baker to come and deliver some samples after the engagement party, though rumour has it that vanilla from the Earth Kingdom is what’s in. Now let us move onto drinks-” The conversation went on like this for several hours. It seemed like Minah had planned this wedding to a T, and was merely running them past you in case you had any issues.

You were then pulled away by Namjoon to be fitted by Hazel. You had met her once before the engagement ceremony so she could make minor adjustments to the dress, but other than that you knew very little about her.

You stripped down to only your chemise (like a nightdress but it goes under the rest of your clothing) when she began to wrap the measuring tape around your waist.

“You must be excited for your upcoming nuptials, your highness.” she commented as she noted you waist measurements. “Jaebum is such a gentleman, I was surprised he didn’t marry sooner. It must be a dream for you.”

“I have never thought deeply on marriage and so I’ve had no dreams as such.”

“All women must think of marriage, your highness. Especially being princess such as yourself.”

“I am the youngest of five daughters, I felt my likelihood of wearing a ring was small.”

“I suppose fate works in mysterious ways.”

“He’s never courted with anyone? I would have thought a single man would have been in want of a wife much earlier than twenty years of age.” you asked, not wanting to discuss yourself.

“Nope. It wasn’t necessary for him to marry, so he joined the military. There are no women out there, so he was around men pretty much all the time. The king didn’t look for a wife for him until recently.” she shrugged as the measured round your upper arm. “He’s lucky though, he gets such a pretty wife.” she giggled, “Did you like your engagement dress? It must have fit slightly weird because I didn’t get the chance to measure you.”

“It was beautiful, you’re really talented.” she smiled brightly at you,

“So do you like Jaebum?” you could tell she liked to chat, and as the town’s only seamstress she had to be talking to many people. If you mentioned your problems, she might start telling others.

“Yes, he’s very…special. I like him…very much.”`you lied through your teeth. Gilda, who was also sitting in, just in case Hazel needed help, raised her eyebrows. Hazel grinned,

“I was sure you would! There are so many girls who would happily wed Jaebum. Even I’m a little jealous.” There seemed to be a disconnect between the women of this kingdom and you. They all spoke so well of Jaebum, yet he treated you with such contempt. Did he hate you all that much?

“I think you and Jaebum will look good together. I’ll make sure you guys match for the wedding, and the party next week, don’t worry.” She began to pull out various material and hold them to you body, before settling with a pale blue-grey material. She pinned it to various parts of your body, accidentally pricking you once or twice. Which resulted in you vigorously cursing. Several times.

By the time the fitting was over, it was dinner time, and you once again had to dine with the ‘family’. Jaebum chose not to come, and you had yet to see him this day.

 

Jaebum peered under his bed and even walked through the hedge maze. Where was Nora? She always came to comfort him, but she hadn’t been in his bedroom or in any place he could think of. He hadn’t seen her since your argument, and he was sure she would have come to him after that. But she hadn’t.

She always freely roamed the castle, but she rarely, if ever, left the premises completely. If she did, it was because Jaebum was going to battle. But he had yet to see her.

He had been avoiding you. He was so sure he didn’t like you, but his mind kept drifting. He woke up early, mostly because another dream of you shook him awake, and he managed to grab food before the rest of the family woke up. He skipped lunch at the palace and chose to buy food from the bakery. As he paced around the castle he overheard Hazel’s voice, maybe she had seen Nora? He walked over to the door, forgetting that he was in the west wing, where your bedroom was. He looked in and saw you. Hazel wrapped tape around your chest, then held a pale material up to you. She started pinning it your body, accidentally catching your hip at one point, causing you to grunt a string a swear words. Jaebum almost laughed, you really did have a hot head, didn’t you?

At that point he saw Nora sitting beside Gilda. So that’s where she’d been. The cat walked over to you and pressed her face to you leg. Jaebum gave a disapproving look, little Nora apparently liked you. Quite a lot it seemed. He sighed and left, lest he be a creepy spectator in a womens’ dress fitting.

 

The day of the engagement party rolled in quickly. And you hadn’t seen Jaebum once in the last week. This event was meant to be more relaxed than the wedding and the engagement ceremony. The common people were allowed into the grand hall, and both you and Jaebum would mingle and raise support for the royals and the military. That is, if Jaebum came at all.

Because this event was less formal, the dress was far less restrictive than the one you wore before. Your engagement dress hit the floor and was relatively heavy compared to this one which hung at around ankle length. Your shoes had lower heels, and were overall more comfortable. Plus, no fragile tiara on your head, always a bonus.

The dress was was the pale blue-grey that Hazel had chosen, the material was thin, silky and slightly transparent so roughly five sheets were layered on top. It had a high neck, the collar buttoning on the back of your neck. There was a large hole that displayed your back. The front had a grey bodice, with the back cut out, the same transparent material was pulled over it, and embroidered with flowers like the one you had worn before.

There was no doubt that Hazel had a talent.

Gilda was brushing your hair, most of it was down but she had made a small bun at the back of your head so your hair wasn’t in your face.

Namjoon appeared, tapping his pocket watch. You stood, and took his arm.

“Looking lovely as always, princess.” Namjoon was well dressed in a black suit, which accentuated his long legs.

“You look well yourself, Namjoon.” He took you to the stairs, in the hall you could hear people chatting.

“Everyone has arrived.” Tobin said before running to go in through a side door. It was then Jaebum appeared.

“I’m sorry, I had other business. We have to go in together, don’t we?” Namjoon let go of your arm and passed your hand to Jaebum. He wore another well-fitted suit, and his hair was slicked back away from his face. His right hand settled on your right hip, whilst he held your left hand in his.

“What is it that you are doing?” He leaned in close,

“I’m not doing this because I want to. The common people see us as a poster couple, so we’ll have to fake our way through today. Our marriage is for the sake of our kingdoms, so for tonight, you’ll be willing to pretend to tolerate me, right?” There would be a lot of things you’d be faking in this marriage, you thought.

“Fine, I will oblige this time.”

Namjoon opened the doors. Just like last time, a thousand sets of eyes settled on you, though this time Jaebum was by your side. With lower heels and snobby prince supporting you, you didn’t crash down the stairs like last time.

Arriving at the bottom, both you and Jaebum bowed to the crowds of people. The music began to play again and people began chatting again; those nearest you eagerly ran to you to shake your hands and greet you as well as give congratulations on your upcoming wedding.

You clung to Jaebum’s side, both of you making an effort to keep this facade of affection up. Older women asked if he was treating you well, to which you would brightly respond with “He’s so funny, and sweet, he treats me very well thank you!” Or something of a similar nature. Younger women asked what Jaebum was like, you often said something complimentary which they would want to hear about him. Men of all ages were asking Jaebum what it was like having a pretty future bride, or whether you were taking care of him well, both things which Jaebum would sweetly respond to before kissing your cheek to make his lies seem more believable.

It grew later in the day when the band called for both you and Jaebum to dance. You exchanged a look, and Madame Adelisa looked equally displeased towards the back of the room. He lead you out to the center where spectators had made a circle.

He took you into hold, and the music began to play once more. He slowly lead you around the hall. You found the rhythm easily, and began to glide round the hall effortlessly, his hand shifted from your hip up to the center of your bare back.

It was a strange, mild tingling sensation, that rang across your skin from where his hand was. There were many people watching you, and yet you could not look away from him. His eyes were on yours, and he held your gaze quite comfortably.

He raised your hand above your head and you simply turned under it like it was nothing before coming back together with him, you were sure you heard several claps from the crowd, but by this point you and Jaebum weren’t even on the same planet as them. It was just you and him and the floor. Nothing else.

The lift came as naturally as the turn, his hands gripped either side of your waist, whilst you supported yourself on his shoulders. More claps. You could sense the music coming to its end, he spun you several more times before dipping you, catching your back whilst you held onto his neck.

Applause from the guests struck you both from your daze and sent you back to earth. He pulled you up, bowing to you as you curtsied, and you exited the center whilst the guests got in on the dancing.

There were whispers from people around you, mostly inaudible so you paid little attention to them. His hand hadn’t moved from your back. Jaebum, whose face was heavily flushed, pulled away from you,

“I shall find us something to drink, wait here.”

He paced away, patting his cheeks, which were hot. That was more than his body could bear. What were these feelings?

He’d danced many times before, when his brother had been seeking a bride, a large ball had been held, Jaebum must have danced with twenty or so women and felt nothing, was it that you were to be wed to him? He looked his palm, which had been against your back not a moment earlier. Soft. It was the only way he could describe touching your exposed skin.

He took two glasses of wine from a servant and made his way back over to you. Several peasant girls had surrounded you, they were tittering around you, what did they find so funny?

“Y/N, I mean, my dear fiancee, I brought you a drink.” He handed it to you, “Ladies.” he nodded to the group of girls who broke into fits of giggles and whispers to one another. “What do they find so amusing, Y/N?” he asked. You gave him a coy smile,

“I don’t think you’d find it funny.”

“Tell me, I implore you.” he said, slightly bemused. One girl said something in your ear.

“Forgive me, prince, Fiona here says I can’t tell you.” he smiled, it was odd, anyone looking would have thought he was fond of you.

The evening went on quite pleasingly forward. Jaebum and you managed to maintain a civil, almost affectionate, front. He allowed you go into the centre and dance with Namjoon and Jinyoung, doing one of the faster jigs which mostly involved linking arms and spinning each other round and swapping partners. The end of the party drew near, and the band called out that they were playing the last dance.

“Care for the final dance?” he offered his hand to you, which you sheepishly took.

Unlike the initial dance you had to do, which required some amount of training to do, this dance was intended for all. It was slower, the men stood to one side and women went to the other. Other pairs went in a long row between the men and women on the outside. The pairs on the inside moved forward several steps, then turned with the partner of the opposite gender on the outside, then their original partner on the inside and then to the outside again, before repeating the steps in the opposite direction. It was surprisingly entertaining, stepping round Jinyoung, shoulder to shoulder, then meeting with Jaebum again. You had not realised how fun a party could actually be since you’d never had one before this day. The music slowed to a stop and the crowds of people cheered, whilst the couples bowed to one another.

You and Jaebum stood by the steps to the exit of the hall so that you could bid the guests goodbye.

Jaebum walked you back to your bedroom at the end of the night, you stopped by your door. His palm were hot as were his cheeks. You slowly curtsied to him,

“Good night, Jaebum. Sleep well.” he nodded, not quite looking at you, so you went into your room and quietly closed the door. Jaebum sighed. Perhaps if he were a man with more tact, he could say how pretty you were in the moonlight, or compliment your dancing. If he were a smarter man he wouldn’t have been fighting with himself everyday.

His father could never choose a suitable bride. It wasn’t possible, that man had not raised him; he did not know him. And yet he was here. His father’s harsh words to him in his youth had caused his avoidance of female attention, had denied him the chance for love, would he, Jaebum, now deny his own feelings to just to spite the man who called him son?


End file.
